NEET 2026: Exam Date (Soon), Registration, Notification, Syllabus, Pattern, Cutoff, Preparation

The official website of NEET 2026 will be announced by NTA. The URL of the website in 2025 was neet.nta.nic.in. It was changed from that of 2024, which was neet.ntaonline.in. The website is hosted by NTA.

The duration of NEET exam is three hours. The exam timing is 2 PM to 5 PM. Test takers needed to report to the exam centre latest by 1 PM. They could not leave the exam hall before 5 PM. 

The NEET 2026 dates have not been announced yet. However, it is likely that the NTA will hold the NEET exam 2026 events as per the previous years' trends. On the other hand, the NEET 2025 dates were almost scheduled in the same timeline as that of its last year. The exam was held on May 4, 2025, in a similar trend to the last couple of years. The NEET 2025 result was declared on June 14, 2025. On the other hand, NEET 2024 result was scheduled for June 14, 2024, but was preponed to June 4, 2024, 10 days ahead of the scheduled date. 

The total duration of the NEET UG exam cycle ranges from seven to eight months. In general, the application process for NEET starts in the first week of February and goes on till March. After that, the correction window is opened in March, followed by the release of the NEET exam city intimation slip in April and the NEET admit card in May, a few days before the exam date. The NEET exam is held in a single day and slot on the first Sunday of May. The result is declared within a month. After that, the NEET counselling process is conducted from July or August, which continues till the seats are filled, tentatively till November or December. 

You can choose any exam centre of NEET if you have opted for English medium question paper. English is available at all centres across the country. English is a universal language and the NEET question paper medium. The exam city selection option becomes limited once candidates choose a regional language, except Hindi. Apart from the medium of the question factor, the other factor that plays a role in the NEET exam centre city selection is the permanent and present address selected by candidates during the application process.

NEET or National Eligibility cum Entrance Test is a paper-and-pencil-based test (PBT) of three hours or 180 minutes duration. There will be a total of 180 multiple-choice questions (MCQs), all of which will be compulsory to attempt. The syllabus of the exam consists of Physics, Chemistry and Biology subjects. The Biology subject is segregated between Zoology and Botany. On the other hand, the Chemistry subject is segregated into Organic, Inorganic and Physical Chemistry. Unlike last year, the subjects will not be divided into two sections.

According to the marking scheme, each correct question carries 4 marks, and there is a negative marking of 1 mark for each wrong answer. No marks will be awarded or deducted for unattempted questions. The following table brings the structure of the NEET exam.

Candidates must ensure that they take the NEET mock test in a proctored manner within a simulated environment. Hence, ideally students should take mock test in the exam timing, from 2 PM to 5 PM, without any break. This would help them get adjusted to the exam taking environment. Moreover, the test should be taken without any break. It must also be ensured that they take the test in a quite environment either alone or with a group of fellow NEET aspirants. Creating a simulated test-taking experience is important. While a number of students take the NEET mock tests at coaching institutes, some prefer to take it at their home. Irrespective of the location, the above factors must be followed to get the best out of the NEET mock test.

Students can download the NEET admit card 2026 using the process shared below-

• Visit the NEET website 
• Click on the link or tab indicating NEET Admit Card download
• Fill up a form regarding your the latest health and travel updates
• Click on the link indicating Admit Card Download
• Log in with Application Number and Password along with the Security Pin
• Download the Admit Card
• Take multiple printouts.

The NEET city intimation slip or the city allotment slip is the precursor to the NEET admit card. The NEET city allotment slip mentions the city in which candidates' NEET exam centre will be located along with other personal details of candidates. The validity of the NEET advance intimation to exam city slip is till the time the NEET admit card is released. Hence, once the NEET admit card is released, there is no need to preserve the NEET city intimation slip. 

The NEET and CUET UG are two most competitive undergraduate entrance exams. NEET UG is conducted for admission to medical, dental, nursing and allied courses, CUET UG is the gateway to multiple bachelor's degree courses offered at multiple universities across India. While NEET UG has a single question paper on three subjects, Physics, Chemistry and Biology, CUET UG is conducted separately for different subjects. According to experts and students, the difficulty level of NEET is higher than the CUET UG exam. Moreover, the syllabus of NEET consists of both Class 11 and Class 12 curriculum whereas CUET UG syllabus consists only of Class 12 curriculum, making the syllabus and weightage of NEET higher than the CUET UG exam. 

While the level of the NEET and JEE Main is same, as both the exams are of undergraduate level and the syllabus is that of Class 11 and Class 12, the difficulty level of JEE Main is higher than that of NEET. Although both the exams are tough and highly competitive in their own rights, the exam pattern and syllabus are different. Physics and Chemistry are common subjects, and Mathematics and Biology are covered in JEE Main and NEET respectively. The focus on Mathematics and computational ability of candidates is more in the JEE Main exam, whereas in NEET, the Biology subject carries the highest weightage. On the other hand, the difficulty level of the Physics questions are higher in JEE Main than NEET as according to experts, they are trickier in the former as compared to the latter. 

NTA is the authority which creates the question paper of NEET. The questions are sent in by different professors, and NTA selects the questions for the examination. No single person is responsible for designing the question paper. Generally, the NEET question papers are set by an expert committee or panel of subject experts who later review the answer key challenges. Candidates may find questions from previous years' NEET question papers as well. This is why experts suggest solving previous years' question papers for NEET preparation.

NTA announces the NEET result or scorecard download information on the official exam website. Various media portals and social media platforms also announce the declaration of results. Test takers are advised to keep a check on the official websites as well as opt for notifications or alerts at the news and social media platforms to get instantly notified about the declaration of NEET result. Moreover, they also get the NEET result information from their teachers or peers. 

The NEET result is declared on the official websites of NTA and NEET. The URLs where the result or the scorecard of NEET 2025 are available for download are as follows:

• neet.nta.nic.in
• nta.ac.in

The above-mentioned websites carry the official notice about the NEET result declaration, procedure and links to download the NEET 2025 scorecard.

The NEET 2025 result was originally released on June 14, 2025. The results for candidates who were affected due to a power cut at the exam centres were withheld. These candidates had filed a petition at the MP High Court demanding a retest. As per the verdict dated July 14, 2025, the Division Bench of the MP High Court ruled out the re-test request, but asked NTA to release the scorecards for the petitioners or the withheld candidates. Accordingly, NTA released the NEET 2025 scorecard for these candidates on July 15, 2025.

 The category-wise NEET cutoff percentile is given in the table below:

The cutoff for NEET is released along with the result or the scorecard. The NEET cutoff or qualifying marks vary for each category, which are General, SC, ST, OBC and PwD/PH. Along with candidates' scores, percentiles and All India Rank (AIR), NTA also indicates the Qualifying Status of candidates in the scorecard. NTA also released the NEET 2025 cutoff in the official notice along with the declaration of the NEET result. The qualifying cutoff for NEET 2025 is given below:

The NEET counselling registration fee varies for different candidate categories. For the AIQ seats and Central Universities, the fee for the General category candidates is INR 1,000 and for the SC, ST, OBC and PwD category candidates, the fee is INR 500. For participating in the NEET counselling process for Deemed Universities, the registration fee for all category candidates is INR 5,000. The registration fee is non-refundable. On the other hand, candidates will have to pay the tuition fee which is refundable. The amount for the General category candidates for the AIQ seats and Central Universities is INR 10,000. For the reserved category candidates, the amount is INR 5,000. For Deemed Universities, the tuition fee to be paid by all category candidates is INR 2,00,000. Those who would not be allotted a seat after the NEET counselling process will be refunded the tuition fee after the conclusion of the counselling rounds.

The NEET counselling process conducted for the 15 per cent All India Quota (AIQ) seats will be conducted primarily for the MBBS, BDS and BSc Nursing courses. For the State NEET counselling rounds, the courses for admission are MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BUMS and BHMS courses. Some of the State NEET UG Counselling authorities also conduct admission for the Allied Courses such as BPTH, BoTH, BNYS, BASLP, etc. The courses may vary from state to state, but the MBBS and BDS courses are common all across. For the 15 per cent AIQ seats, the NEET counselling for B.A.MS, BUMS and BHMS courses are conducted separately by the requisite department and authorities, which is the Ayush Admissions Central Counselling Committee (AACCC).

NEET counselling or the NEET UG All India counselling and the NEET state counselling process are conducted for admission to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other courses. The NEET UG All India counselling is conducted by MCC for the 15 per cent AIQ seats. On the other hand, the state NEET counsellings are conducted by the State Authorities, such as the Department of Medical Education (DME) for different states and Union Territories (UTs) for the 85 per cent State Quota (SQ) seats. The timeline and processes may vary for the NEET All India counselling and the state counselling for NEET. In general, there are three to four rounds for both counselling types. In the state counselling for NEET, the authorities release a merit list for registered eligible candidates. But MCC does not release a merit list. The other steps involved in both counselling types are similar, including registration, choice filling, release of seat allotment and institute reporting. 

Yes, NCERT books are sufficient to complete the NEET syllabus. A number of past years' NEET toppers have claimed that they referred only to NCERT books for preparation. NCERT textbooks act as the base to complete the syllabus and develop conceptual clarity and understanding of the topics and chapters. However, for practice purposes, students may refer to other books and resources as well. It is advised that while starting the NEET preparation, candidates refer to the NCERT books and move towards other books and advanced resources after that.

Although the NEET exam is generally scheduled from 2 to 5 PM, the array of activities are scheduled since morning. The table brings the activity-wise schedule for NEET exam.

NTA officially releases the NEET syllabus in English. Candidates opting for the exam in Hindi or other regional languages can check their Class 11 and Class 12 syllabus attuned to the NEET syllabus, from their teachers or mentors and request them to provide them with the NEET syllabus 2025 PDF download in Hindi or other regional languages. Hindi medium students can refer to their Board exam syllabus and crosscheck the topics or chapters. Aspirants should also go through previous years' NEET Hindi question papers to understand the question types, topics and difficulty level.

The format for NEET exam is a total of 180 question with total 720 marks. Four marks will be awarded for a right answer and one mark will be deducted for a wrong answer. The questions will be objective type that is MCQ based. 90 questions will be from Biology including Zoology and Botany both, and 45 questions each from Physics and 45 Chemistry. Each subject will be divided into two sections. The syllabus will be that of Class 11 and Class 12 CBSE syllabus.

Yes, AIIMS Raipur accepts NEET scores. There is no other entrance exam conducted by AIIMS Raipur or AIIMS institutes for MBBS admission. Although earlier AIIMS used to conduct its own entrance exam, but it was scrapped in 2020. The admission to AIIMS Raipur takes place through NEET counselling, conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee. AIIMS Raipur seats are a part of the 15 per cent All India Quota (AIQ) seats. Candidates must secure a NEET score above 700 in order to have a chance to get admission to the MBBS course in this coveted medical institute of India. 

NTA has not extended the NEET 2025 application last date. While NTA does not postpone the NEET exam date in general, it is common for NTA, the exam conducting authority to extend or postpone the dates of application form submission last date or the application correction last date. There have been instances in previous years where NTA had reopened the NEET application process or the NEET application correction window as a response to student requests or other internal reasons. On the other hand, last year, NTA had announced the NEET 2024 result date in advance, which was June 14, 2024, but was preponed by 10 days, and was released on June 4, 2024. Hence, the NEET 2025 important dates may get extended or postponed. 

The NEET 2025 information brochure released on February 7, along with the application form. The information brochure for NEET is a detailed document, which is available online on the official website of the exam in PDF format. It consists of indepth information regarding the NEET exam in terms of dates, eligibility criteria, application process, exam pattern, syllabus, test centre cities, admission process, among others. To access the NEET 2025 information brochure, students will have to follow the steps given below. 

1. Visit the official website of NEET 

2. Click on the Information tab

3. Select Information Brochure from the dropdown menu

4. Download the Information Brochure 

Candidates must download and preserve the information brochure and refer to it whenever there is any doubt or query related to the eligibility criteria, application process, exam pattern, syllabus, admission process, etc. 

NEET or National Eligibility cum Entrance Test is a national level medical entrance exam for undergraduate courses. It is the gateway to admission to multiple medical and paramedical courses. Although earlier NEET scores were considered for MBBS and BDS courses only, but now, there are multiple courses including medical, dental, nursing and other paramedical courses, the admission to which are conducted through NEET scores. The course names are listed below:

1. Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)

2. Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS)

3. BSc Nursing

4. Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS)

5. Bachelor of Uninani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS)

6. Bachelor Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS)

7. Bachelor of Siddha Medicine and Surgery (BSMS)

8. Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT)

9. Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (BOTh)

10. Bachelor of Audiology, Speech and Language Pathology (BASLP)

11. Bachelor of Prosthetics and Orthotics

These courses are offered at various colleges across India, and the admission is based on the NEET UG exam scores.

NEET will be conducted in 13 languages. Till 2020, NEET was held in 11 languages. NTA increased the number of languages or medium to 13 from 2021 onwards. Malayalam and Punjabi are the latest additions. The list of languages are as follows:

1. English
2. Hindi
3. Bengali
4. Urdu
5. Assamese
6. Gujarati
7. Marathi
8. Odia
9. Kannada
10. Tamil
11. Malayalam
12. Punjabi
13. Telugu.

Yes, BSc Nursing course admission is conducted through NEET scores for certain colleges. Hence, if you are planning to pursue Nursing courses, then you can appear for NEET. While filling the NEET application form, you need to select the courses or colleges. If you qualify for the exam by securing the cutoff marks, and be eligible for the counselling process, there you have to select the Nursing courses or colleges which you are vying for. However, a few top colleges or institutes are still conducting their own Nursing entrance exams, such as AIIMS, PGIMER, KGMU, to name a few.  

Yes, medical aspirants can participate in the state as well as the All India NEET counselling processes simultaneously. In general, the dates of state and the All India NEET counselling rounds will be different.

Before participating in either of the NEET counselling processes, candidates must ensure that they fulfill the eligibility criteria. For the State NEET counselling processes, candidates must belong to the domicile. Students not belonging to the state may also participate in the particular NEET state counselling, provided they register and participate from the NRI quota. Apart from that, other eligibility criteria are the same. 

NTA released the final answer key for NEET 2025 on June 14, 2025, before the result. The provisional NEET 2025 answer keys was released on June 3, 2025, within a month of conducting the exam. Candidates were given an opportunity to submit challenges or objections against the provisional answer keys within June 5, 2025. There will not be any opportunity to review or challenge the NEET final answer keys. The NEET 2025 result was computed based on the NEET 2025 final answer keys. 

The NEET counselling is segregated into two categories: central or national, and state counselling. The central counselling for NEET is conducted by the Medical Counselling Committee. The NEET counselling process conducted by MCC is for the admission to the 15 per cent All India Quota seats. On the other hand, State Authorities or the Education Department of various states conduct NEET state counselling for the 85 per cent state quota seats. MCC conducts the NEET counselling for MBBS, BDS and B.Sc. Nursing courses. On the other hand, the State Counselling Authorities conduct the admission process for MBBS, BDS, BAMS, BHMS, and other medical or allied courses.

In general, NTA provides two to three days window to submit objections against the provisional NEET answer keys or OMR sheet responses. This year, the NEET answer key 2025 provisional answer key objection submission window is open from June 3 to June 5, 2025, which is three days. Last year, NTA released the NEET provisional answer keys on May 29, 2024, and the last date to submit objections or challenges was originally May 31, 2024, which was extended by a day, till June 1, 2024. 

No, NEET candidates are not allowed to use calculator during the exam. They have to do calculations manually on the test booklet provided to them. Calculator is one of the prohibited items to be carried to the exam centre. Moreover, since NEET is conducted in paper-pencil-based mode, they are not provided onscreen calculator unlike other computer-based exams. Hence, students are advised to practice calculations so that they do not face much difficulty on the day of the NEET exam. 

There are generally four Sets of NEET question papers, which are further segregated into six parts. However, in NEET 2025, there were four sets of the NEET question paper, which were named as 45, 46, 47, and 48, and these were not further divided into six subsets, which was followed till the previous year. The names of the NEET 2024 question paper Sets and codes are Q, R, S and T. For the NEET 2024 re-exam, the question paper sets were A, B, C and D. The multiple Sets and codes in the NEET question papers ensure that there is no malpractice in the conduct of the exam. The names of the Sets and codes of the regional NEET question papers are different from the English ones. While distributing the question papers of NEET invigilators had to ensure that they did not give the same set of question papers to two consecutive candidates. Once candidates are given the NEET question paper by invigilators, they need to check whether the question paper and test booklet, or answer sheet, is of the same code. In case of a mismatch, they need to bring the matter to the invigilator's notice. In case they submit the NEET test booklet with a different code from that of the NEET question paper, their exam will stand cancelled.

Although the questions are the same in all Sets of the NEET question paper, the order of the sections and questions vary from set to set. The different order of the sections and questions ensure that there is no malpractice conducted during the exam. Even if some questions are absolutely different in separate Sets or languages, the topics and chapters covered and difficulty level remain similar to ensure normalisation. Hence, it can be said that NTA Sets a common question paper carrying 200 questions, after which the questions are distributed across four Sets and six subsets of the NEET question paper. The subjects, and the questions within the subjects are shuffled for each of the NEET question paper Sets. This allows a parity in terms of topics covered and difficulty level, as well as allows avoidance of malpractice.

NTA is releasing the NEET city intimation slip or city allotment slip since the past few years. The main purpose of this document is to keep candidates aware of the city in which their NEET exam centre will be located. Since the NEET admit card is released just three to four days before the exam day, it often results into last minute stress for candidates and their family members. To avoid this situation, and to help make them the necessary arrangements for travel/commute, accomodation, calculation of timing or duration, etc. well in advance. This helps them avoid the last minute hassle and stress, and focus only on the NEET exam preparation. 

NTA released the NEET 2025 cutoff along with the result on June 14, 2025. Based on the NEET 2025 high difficulty level, the NEET cutoff 2025 is much lower than last year. Take a look at the NEET 2025 cutoff for reference.